Carbon blacks are generally produced in a furnace-type reactor by pyrolyzing a hydrocarbon feedstock with hot combustion gases to produce combustion products containing particulate carbon black.
Carbon blacks may be utilized as pigments, fillers, reinforcing agents and for a variety of other applications. For example, carbon blacks are widely utilized as fillers and reinforcing pigments in the compounding and preparation of rubber compositions. Most importantly, carbon blacks are effective in the preparation of rubber vulcanizates intended for usage in preparing tires.
It is generally desirable in the production of tires to utilize carbon blacks which produce tires with satisfactory abrasion resistance and hysteresis performance. The treadwear properties of a tire are related to abrasion resistance. The greater the abrasion resistance of a tire, the greater the number of miles the tire will last before wearing out. The hysteresis of a rubber compound means the difference between the energy applied to deform a rubber compound, and the energy released as the rubber compound recovers to its initial undeformed state. Tires with lower hysteresis values have reduced rolling resistance and therefore are able to reduce the fuel consumption of the vehicle utilizing the tire. Thus it is particularly desirable to produce carbon blacks capable of imparting greater abrasion resistance and lower hysteresis to tires.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is the production of new carbon blacks which impart improved treadwear and hysteresis performance properties to natural rubbers, synthetic rubbers and blends of natural and synthetic rubbers incorporating the carbon blacks.
Another object of the present invention is new rubber compositions, advantageous for use as high performance tires, and particularly advantageous for use as passenger car tires, incorporating the new carbon blacks.
Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the claims.